Romancing an Heir?
by RockinT765
Summary: Byakuya Togami definitely doesn't have a crush on Makoto Naegi. And, he definitely doesn't act on it. Definitely. (Basically, Naegami fluff, set during their time, in high school.)


Byakuya Togami was a man of power, of intellect, and of talent. He wasn't, nor could he ever become, the kind of person who developed crushes. Those were simply silly feelings that dragged useful people down, and clouded the minds of those who weren't strong enough, or smart enough, to ignore such useless and unwanted thoughts.

So, of course, Byakuya Togami didn't have a crush on anyone. Certainly. There was no doubt. If somebody had caught his eye, before, he'd pushed the thought away. Pushed it far far far away, because people like him didn't _get_ crushes on commoners.

Wait, commoners? Who mentioned commoners? Byakuya Togami didn't get crushes on _anyone_. Yes. But, still, he especially didn't have any crushes on commoners. For instance, Makoto Naegi was a commoner, one that he didn't have a crush on. Him in particular, even. He, definitely, didn't have a crush on him, of all people. That would be absurd.

Well, at least it would be absurd, if it wasn't true. In fact, the whole not getting crushes on people thing was also a tad bit exaggerated. If Byakuya were honest with himself, he'd have to admit that Makoto Naegi was not only on his radar, but also in his classes, and at his lunches, and, sadly, in his thoughts.

With honesty on the table, one could even say that, perhaps, Byakuya Togami was not only mildly interested in the other boy, but head over heels for him. That idiot could tell him to jump and he'd ask how high. Although, he'd never really do that, because even the stupidly adorable Makoto could never make him blindly follow commands. Hopefully.

He couldn't pinpoint, exactly, when he'd developed a crush on the luckster. Yet, he supposed it didn't really matter when it started, because it was plaguing him in the present. Byakuya knew he'd have to deal with his infatuation, soon enough, as he was the head of the Togami family, and part of that duty was never marrying, and especially never marrying a guy who could never produce children with him.

Not, of course, that he was thinking of having children with Makoto. Even _with_ a crush, he never daydreamed about potential babies, or the way that babies were created. Byakuya was above that. Although, as it turns out, it is awfully hard to ignore such thoughts as a teenager, even a rich, egotistical teenager. But, that issue was not one that directly stemmed from his crush, so he couldn't put all the blame on Makoto.

Man, he really did have a soft spot for him, didn't he? Did that make him weak? (Weak in the knees, maybe.) Perhaps it did. But, a Togami cannot be weak, and so, in order to move forward, Byakuya knew that he would have to eliminate his petty desires. He couldn't, exactly, kick Makoto out of his life. He probably had the power to, but didn't want to have to resort to such desperate measures, for he, himself, was not desperate, definitely not.

What could he do? He supposed there were many options, ones he just hadn't thought of yet. But, he would have to wait before seriously considering any of them. This was in part because school was not the proper place to fantasize or attempt to fix his love life, but mostly because class was over and if he wasn't careful, he'd be trampled by a bunch of buffoons.

So, he grabbed his books, strode past the teacher, whose lesson he had ignored, and walked out the door. However, just as soon as he stepped into the hallway, he bumped into someone who was, clearly, not paying attention and practically jogging through the hallway. He prepared to give him a piece of his brilliant mind when his eyes locked with the student he'd collided with.

Pale green eyes met his, and his words died on his tongue. For what seemed like the thousandth time, Makoto Naegi had silenced him. The kid, simply, could not be avoided, and it annoyed Byakuya to no end.

But, Makoto never seemed to recognize how much he bothered Byakuya, and he instead beamed up at him. "Hey, Byakuya!" he chirped.

Byakuya groaned, but replied with a rather monotone, "Hello, Makoto."

He hoped, silently, that this would be the end of his interaction, but knew that life was never that easy. So, of course, Makoto did not flinch at the uninterested response, and definitely didn't continue walking to class. Instead, he cocked his head slightly and looked at Byakuya with a relatively intense stare.

It almost made Byakuya blush. Someone with less self-control surely would've blown their cover, but, luckily, Byakuya was better than that. Not that he was unscathed, however, as the eyes boring into him still threatened to make him melt. He wished that he could have some of Makoto's luck.

"What are you looking at?" Byakuya spat.

This seemed to break Makoto out of his trance, and with a sudden jolt, his face morphed back into a warm smile. "Actually, I was looking at _you_ ," he started, "Did you do something different with your hair? I probably wouldn't have noticed, but because I'm standing so close to you, I'm pretty certain it looks a little different."

Byakuya's blood nearly went cold at the statement. Today of all days, one of his servants had forgotten to wake him up, and he hadn't had enough time to properly brush his hair. Of course, it was on this day that a certain short "friend" of his would notice.

"I was busy, and didn't want to waste time on my hair, just to entertain commoners. Some people have more important things to do with their lives," Byakuya said, attempting to insult his way out of the awkward encounter.

Despite the harsh words and look of contempt on his face, Makoto was again unfazed, and smiled at him, thoughtfully. "Well, I like it. I think you look really good with your hair a bit ruffled," Makoto laughed, "Not that you don't look good usually! The different look is just, I dunno, refreshing? Either way, you look really… handsome, I guess, today."

Makoto looked off into the hallway for a moment, before appearing to remember something. He continued, quickly, with, "Uh, sorry, but I really have to get to class and it's sort of at the other end of the building, so I really have to go. See you, Byakuya!"

And with that, he dashed off again, leaving Byakuya, alone, to obsess over think about the last few moments. Or, well, he would've stewed over it, if he hadn't remembered, just as Makoto had, that class would be starting soon enough. Knowing he could be late, and deeming tardiness as something only careless people were guilty of, he high-tailed it over to his next class.

It was, thankfully, nearby, and he managed to actually put off his thoughts of Makoto, until he sat down. But, just as he finished putting his books under his desk, he realized that he would be spending another fifty or so minutes not paying any attention to the teacher. That was, however, unless there was an assignment, in which case he'd finish it quickly and easily, but there hardly ever was any real work, especially since classes weren't mandatory.

Classes were boring. Everything was boring. Everyone was boring. Except for Makoto, even though he was the most boring person of all. He always had Byakuya's attention, despite the fact that he, hardly, did anything to deserve it. So, again, Makoto wormed his way into his mind, and Byakuya could no longer ignore the many questions, in his head.

For instance, did Makoto really just compliment him? Was it just a compliment, or did it mean something? Was handsome, simply, an accurate description, or did it imply something? Did that mean Makoto felt the same way?

Ugh. This was why Byakuya hated people who had crushes. They became delirious. Within a second of thought, he'd already gotten so worked up that he was equating a stating of fact (the fact being that Byakuya was good-looking) to a love declaration. Surely, it meant nothing. Makoto had never really seemed interested in him, had he? Anyway, wasn't he into that Sayaka girl?

Yes, Makoto, certainly, wasn't interested in him. Right? Then, why did he feel goddamn butterflies in his gut?

If he were to take it out of context, the things he said could make it seem like he liked him. Makoto had mentioned liking something about him, said something about seeing him again later, and implied that he, generally, found Byakuya to be attractive. If Makoto wasn't such an innocent, little twat, Byakuya would've taken it as some kind of bad flirting.

Maybe Makoto really did have his sights set on him? What if his whole nice-guy thing had just been an attempt to lure Byakuya away from his destiny?

Okay, okay. That's gotta stop right there. Byakuya knew Makoto. Maybe they weren't close, mostly because Byakuya had done so much to try to push him away, but they understood each other about as much as a commoner could understand someone on such a different level. Makoto would never grasp how he worked, but his effort was noted.

Which was one of the reasons why Byakuya was so interested in him in the first place. Really, the whole incident had thrown him deeper into the pit that was a crush. He was losing his mind, all because Makoto Naegi decided, out of the goodness of his heart, to compliment him. It was, probably, meant to cheer him up, to brighten his day. It had done just the opposite.

Wait, that wasn't entirely true. In the moments immediately following what Makoto had said, Byakuya, truly, did feel incredibly validated and special and light and… oh so happy. Why did Makoto have to be so great? Why did Makoto have to be so unique, despite being just so plain? If Byakuya hadn't given him a second glance, he would've just stayed another boring person he'd met on his way to success. But, no, he'd accidentally surrendered his entire peace of mind to him.

And, the worst part was, he didn't even regret it. As much as he fought it, and as much as he tried to convince himself that Makoto was another stupid boy, he couldn't. He was completely and entirely smitten with him. So much so that he couldn't get Makoto's words out of his head.

Makoto had, actually, called him handsome. He'd greeted him with stars in his eyes, and stood valiant, in spite of the words Byakuya tossed at him. While he wasn't stand-out enough to seem like the main character type, Byakuya was certain that if life was a game, Makoto would be the protagonist. He only wished that he could be more than just a background character in that game.

But, did he really wish that? Of course he did. Yet at the same time, was Makoto worth losing everything he'd fought for? Were the deaths of his siblings for nothing? Byakuya knew the answer, sadly. Makoto _was_ his everything. That stupid idiot who'd smiled at Byakuya, even when the person looking back at him had only a scowl, had surpassed all of his expectations, in ways he could hardly explain.

Was Byakuya really so desperate that Makoto complimenting him on his hair was enough to spur all of this? Maybe. But, that still didn't mean that Makoto even liked him back. Or, did it?

Byakuya really hadn't asked for all this.

He'd thought, earlier, that Makoto would never be able to comprehend him, but really, he would never be able to comprehend Makoto. That simple boy was far more complex than the vain people he'd encountered. Aristocrats, nobles, people who mattered… they were easy to understand, because there was so little to them, so little substance that a quick scan was all it took to figure out their entire existence.

The only thing he could say he knew for sure about Makoto was that he wasn't easily deterred, that he was one of the most optimistic, and hopeful people he knew. Those were traits many lowly people held, often because when you start at the bottom, you can only hope to climb higher. But, Makoto was different, somehow. He just was. And, that just drove Byakuya crazy.

However, it didn't just drive him crazy. He was also crazy _for_ Makoto, which was a major inconvenience. Still, he really liked him, even if Makoto confused him, and sent him signals he couldn't interpret. So, Byakuya determined, finally, that after months of torture, he had to ask the ordinary, yet somehow extraordinary boy out.

Maybe Byakuya was so worried about what he should do that a simple nudge in the right direction, just a quick nod that reaffirmed that fact that he had a chance, was all he needed. Makoto's little comment had teetered him over the edge, and now he was falling for Makoto, faster and deeper than he would've been able to, by slowly attempting to sort out his feelings.

Still, though, even though Byakuya knew that he had been feeling this way for a long time, and he'd just been waiting for the right time, would it come as a shock to Makoto? What, with everything he'd said to him, Byakuya wouldn't be surprised if Makoto thought he hated him.

Well, that just meant that it was even more important that he set the record straight.

Byakuya took a deep breath, and brought himself into the real world. He looked over at the clock, and realized with glee (or at least mild excitement, and, yeah, also dread) that it was almost lunch time. Just a few minutes, and he'd be in the same room as the kid he'd been so engrossed in, seconds ago.

He almost couldn't wait. And, Byakuya couldn't remember the last time he'd really been excited for anything.

Before he walked into the cafeteria, however, he'd have to have a game-plan of sorts. Was he just going to spontaneously ask him out? Should it be a private thing, or should he try to seem casual? Was he going to get it over with and do it, quickly? Or, should he wait until the end of the day?

Wow. Byakuya realized that he'd never asked so many questions in one day, in his entire life. He, usually, had the answers. And, actually, maybe he still did have them. Yes. Yes, he did. Within a moment, he decided what he wanted to do. He wouldn't back down, now. Not after wasting all that time thinking about it.

So, when he heard the bell and knew enough to get up, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and he walked, passionately, over to the lunch-room. In the back of his head, he supposed that a guy walking, briskly, through a hallway, clutching books in his arms, and looking determined wasn't particularly unusual, but he still felt somewhat empowered.

And, surprisingly, he only lost some of his resolve when he found Makoto in the crowd. Maybe his luck was turning around. Byakuya really hoped so.

Makoto was sitting at his usual table, next to some people Byakuya could only assume were his friends: Yasuhiro Hagakure, Sayaka Maizono, Kyoko Kirigiri, and Leon Kuwata. There were other kids, as well, but he really didn't care enough to remember them. They, unlike Makoto, were not very important to his mission, if he could even call it a mission.

Now, Byakuya wasn't exactly certain how he'd pull Makoto away, but he knew that he was good enough at faking confidence that he'd be able to muster up enough authority to make things go as he wanted. Smoothly, he made his way over to the table of students.

His walking was purposeful, and the table was halfway across the cafeteria, so it was pretty obvious where he intended to go, and as such, many of the kids at said table were able to deduce that he was headed toward them. Some of them looked none too pleased, which was understandable, since he hadn't masked his disdain when he was around them. Byakuya knew he wasn't a very kind person. That was just the way he was.

But, Makoto knew better, didn't he? This gave him pause, but ultimately reaffirmed his belief that Makoto would respond positively. At least, that's what he told himself. Even affluent progenies lied to themselves from time to time.

Despite his hesitance, Byakuya did eventually make his way over to the table. Unsurprisingly, all eyes were on him. And, so, for the second time that day, Byakuya locked eyes with Makoto Naegi. With all that was on the line, it was especially hard to cover up his blush, this time. Maybe he hadn't covered it up at all. Byakuya would probably never know.

But, that didn't matter. He had a goal, and he was not one to give up. People only quit when they can't win, and he knew that he was not a loser. So, he spoke as cooly as he could. "Makoto, I'd like a word with you. Follow me."

Byakuya did not wait to see Makoto's reaction before walking away. However, he listened, intently, to see if he heard certain clumsy footsteps. When he didn't, and instead heard little collective oooohs from the people around Makoto, likely poking fun at him for being stuck with someone as hard to deal with as people probably thought he was, he turned his head.

"I told you to follow me. Can you not hear?" he asked, a bit more coldly than he would've preferred.

Makoto then looked sheepishly over at his friends, for confirmation, and when they all nodded for him to go, he slowly got up, leaving his lunch. Byakuya never cared for school lunch, anyway, so he wasn't missing out on much, and figured that if things went well, Makoto wouldn't really feel disappointed, either.

When Makoto walked over to him, it took all that he had to turn away and keep walking. And, keep walking he did, all the way over to the library. Of course, it was a pretty long walk, and Makoto had called out a couple times to ask him where they were going or if they were almost there, but Byakuya had ignored him, choosing to prepare himself, during the silence.

Eventually, they reached the library, and he opened the door, holding it for Makoto, before going in. As soon as they were both inside, he instructed Makoto to close the door. It was far more awkward than Byakuya could've anticipated.

But, Makoto still had that hopeful look on his face, even if he also looked a bit frightened. Byakuya supposed he was frightened, too, so he guessed it was justified.

Taking a breath, Byakuya locked eyes with Makoto once more. He felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him. He almost did, but he knew that there were far more tactful ways to go about such a thing. And, he wanted it to be perfect. However, Makoto wasn't aware of the plan, and decided he would speak first.

"So, uh. I followed you in here. What did you want to say?"

Makoto seemed curious, but mostly just confused. Actually, he even seemed a bit worried. Byakuya almost decided to call it all off, as he had the power to do so, when Makoto must've noticed the abnormal air around Byakuya, and offered a small smile, perfect for comforting. Byakuya could attest to that.

And so, without further ado, Byakuya began to speak.

"I have developed certain feelings for you. And, it's hard to focus on anything, when you're always on my mind, so in an effort to get work done more efficiently, I have decided that the best course of action is to ask you out," Byakuya looked away in an effort to calm himself down, "I do not know whether or not you feel the same, but you can blame this proposal in part, on your compliment, earlier. If you weren't so blindly nice all the time, perhaps neither of us would be in this awkward situation, right now. Regardless, I await your response."

Byakuya was, suddenly, very scared, and he didn't know if he could bring himself to look over at Makoto. In fact, he may have just walked away, entirely, if Makoto hadn't decided to lightly grip his hand. The gesture was so surprising that he gasped, turning his head, rapidly, toward Makoto, who seemed thoroughly pleased.

The shorter boy then decided it was his time to answer. "Actually, Byakuya, I guess it's a good thing that I complimented you, today," Makoto then smiled, a devilish look on his face, "You know, since that compliment got me a _very_ handsome boyfriend."

The word boyfriend gave Byakuya chills and he couldn't help but repeat it, without meaning to. "Boyfriend?"

Makoto nodded, cheerfully. "Yeah, I was thinking that maybe I should say yes." And then, he giggled, and it was the most beautiful thing Byakuya had ever heard.

Byakuya was both incredibly ecstatic and incredibly panicked. "What… do I do now?" he asked, seriously.

Luckily, for him, Makoto had an answer. "Well, you kiss me, of course."

So he did, and Byakuya decided that kissing Makoto was his new favorite thing in the whole world.


End file.
